Close Your Eyes
by Miss Hal Gibson
Summary: She was the kind of person who would sacrifice her life to save any other living creature, the type of person who would give up her own happiness so her children could have it. She had no idea her selflessness would cost her her life. Vinny centric.


**AN: This is a oneshot I wrote to get rid of my writer's block. It centers around Vinny, The Chipmunks' mother. If you haven't seen A Chipmunk Reunion, you probably shouldn't be reading this. I'm going to try to get Torn Apart updated within the next couple of days, I just wanted to write a oneshot to get rid of my writer's block with that. :) So anyway, enjoy.  
I do not own The Chipmunks, Chipettes, Vinny, or Dave. All rights go to Ross Bagdasarian and Janice Karman.  
**

* * *

It was a horrible storm, the worst she had encountered since her three children were merely helpless infants and she had to give them up because of that very storm. This was no snowstorm, but it was nearly as bad.

It was a thunderstorm. The thunder and pouring rain could be heard from outside the large tree the female chipmunk called her home, and the flashes of lightning could be seen through her glassless windows that were nothing but large holes cut in the tree with curtains in front of them.

The wind made its way inside of Vinny's home through those windows, carrying along with it buckets of rain.

She had tried going over to the window to cover it up in some fashion, but the rain had come through so hard that it nearly cut into her skin, causing her to run quickly to the other side of the room.

She was alone. Allie had gone to her own house a few hours ago, and of course she didn't have her boys with her. They only visited a few times a year. Vinny's treehouse was quite the lonely place nowadays.

* * *

The female chipmunk sighed and pulled her knees to her chest as she sat on the floor. Oh how she missed her babies. They were nearly teenagers now, and if she hadn't seen much of them when they were at the tender age of eight and ventured out to find her, she would see them even less now.

Their birthday was three days ago. That was when she had last seen them, their birthday. Vinny sighed once more, remembering the very reason they had wanted to find her in the first place.

She smiled fondly at the memory. Even as babies, they could never agree on anything, Alvin and Simon in particular. Theodore wasn't quite as bad, but he did disagree with his brothers more often than not.

She sincerely hoped she could see her children again soon, that they wouldn't start their lives without her. She already knew that they had bright futures ahead of them, their careers assured her of that. She knew they would probably marry their counterparts, The Chipettes. They would probably all have wonderful jobs and have nice lives in the city, while she watched from afar and only saw them on special occasions.

It was hard being a mother when she couldn't see her children. Even when she couldn't see them, they were all she had after the passing of their father.

Vinny was about to drift further into thought when she heard a familiar sound from outside. It was a small animal, perhaps a rabbit, in trouble.

* * *

The chipmunk was quick to get on her feet and peek out her door. She knew it was dangerous and she was putting a lot at risk by going to help the poor, defenseless creature, but helping others was in her nature. It was the way she was. She wouldn't be able to live with herself if she let another creature's life be taken away in favor of her own.

With no regrets, Vinny thrust herself out the door into the storm, her hooded red cloak wrapped around her small body. She walked to where the sound of the small animal was coming from, ignoring the pain the sharp needles of rain caused and fighting the wind that was trying to push her in another direction entirely.

It was a rabbit. A rabbit who's foot was caught up in a rope that someone had left tied around a tree. Vinny untied it and the rabbit hopped away to some sheltered place, leaving its savior standing in the pouring rain alone.

Just as the chipmunk was forcing her way through the rain back to her home, she tripped and fell, causing her to let out a cry of surprise. The fall didn't hurt all that bad, but she did seem to scrape her knee and hands during it.

It wasn't falling that was the problem, it was getting back up. The wind was so strong that it was pushing her down to the ground as if she were being held down by some living being.

She didn't know what hit her. Trees were falling everywhere, and one just happened to land on top of where the female lied on the ground, trapping her beneath it.

The pain was unbearable, and the loud creak of the breaking of bones as well as tree branches could be heard despite the storm.

She couldn't move her lower body at all now, and she knew that her legs had been crushed entirely, despite the fact that she couldn't think right at the moment, she could barely breathe.

She couldn't see, her already poor vision was clouded by the rain and by the pain of her injuries. She tried calling out for help, but no one heard her cries. Soon it would be too late.

The female chipmunk rested her head on the ground, giving up hope. Soon, she would lose consciousness. She could be here for days before anyone found her. She'd probably be dead by then.

With one single tear rolling down her furry cheek, Vinny closed her eyes, drifting away from the outside world.

* * *

_"Wow..." _

_"Excuse me, Mr...? What was your name again, sir?" _

_"Ace. No last name." The male chipmunk in a dark red plaid shirt and jean overalls answered, not breaking his stare. Vinny found the goofy grin on his face quite strange, albeit charming. She smiled._

_"Mr. Ace. Why are you looking at me like that?" _

_"Sorry, miss. You're just awful pretty." _

_"Well thank you, but I'm not sure it's very appropriate to be saying such things to your nurse." _

_"Sorry." He mumbled as she continued dressing his wound. "Could I ask your name?"_

_Her smile grew. "It's Vinny." _

_"Vinny...that's a beautiful name." _

_"Thank you. So what was it you said happened to you? That's a pretty bad fracture you have in your arm, there." _

_"Oh that?" He looked rather smugly at her. "That's nothing. I've broken every bone in my body 'prolly two, three times?" _

_Vinny couldn't help but giggle. "That's nothing to be bragging about, you know." _

_"Yeah, yeah." His bright blue eyes drifted around the room, finally settling back on her. "It's kind of an embarrassing story, really." _

_"Oh do tell." _

_"I was trying to get an apple from way up high in a tree, you know? Well, apparently I was too heavy for the branch or something, 'cause it broke." He smiled shyly, clearly embarrassed by the story. Vinny couldn't help but giggle again. _

_"Well, next time be more careful." She was finally finished dressing his arm now, and backed away to admire her handywork. _

_She was always the one that helped the other animals in the village when they were hurt, as if it were her job. She didn't get paid for it, but the satisfaction she got from helping others was all the payment she needed. _

_"Thank you so much, Miss Vinny. I really 'preciate it." _

_"No problem," she smiled at him, "Ace." _

_"Perhaps uh...we could...uh.." he stood and backed slowly out of the room, bumping into the wall on his way, "...hang out, some time?"_

_Her smile grew, "I'd like that."_

_He chuckled. "See you later then, Miss Vinny." _

* * *

The storm had nearly passed, but all of the animals in the village were sheltered safely in their homes. Families bundled together and kept warm, children snuggled up to their parents in their beds, windows were covered and doors were shut tightly. Every creature was safe. All but one.

The rain poured down around Vinny's battered body, creating a small pool in the imprint the tree had made in the mud surrounding her. She had yet to regain consciousness, and the hope that she would was dwindling very, very quickly.

* * *

Alvin Seville was shaken out of his deep slumber by his youngest brother, Theodore. When he opened his eyes he found the green-clad chipmunk standing there with a small pout and his teddy clutched to his chest.

Alvin figured it was probably the storm keeping him up. He himself found the sound of rain and thunder quite relaxing, enough to sooth him to sleep, but Theodore was different.

The youngest of the three brothers could never get to sleep during a storm, and if one occurred after he went to sleep it would more often than not cause him to wake up and climb into bed with one of his older brothers.

The expression on Theodore's face this time, however, seemed more to be one of worry than fear.

Alvin yawned and looked into his baby brother's green eyes. "What is it, Theodore?"

"Do you think mom is okay?" The question caught the oldest Seville brother off guard. He raised an eyebrow.

"Why wouldn't she be?"

"I-I don't know...I mean...she's all alone..a-and probably cold and scared...you know she doesn't like storms..." He bit his lip.

"Yeah...but she's never had a problem before."

"I just..I have a bad feeling..."

"So do I." The two shortest brothers looked over to the far corner of the room to see Simon, the middle child, sitting up in his bed, looking just as worried as Theodore did. "I have a feeling something is wrong..."

"You're both just paranoid, mom's fine. She's used to this kind of weather."

"But what if she's not this time, Alvin?" Theodore's lip quivered. "W-what if something bad happened to her?"

"Don't worry, guys, I told you, she's fine! Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going back to sleep." Alvin rested his head on his pillows and closed his eyes, drifting off into dreamland.

The two youngest brothers, however, couldn't bring themselves to shake off the feeling that something was very, very wrong.

* * *

_"This is absolutely beautiful." The green-eyed female chipmunk said, sighing happily as she gazed around the meadow she was seated in. _

_"Isn't it?" The male unpacked the lunch the two of them had brought in a basket, setting it down on the blanket they sat on. "Nobody's been out here for ages. I think they forgot it even exists after that fire a few years back."_

_"Who could forget a place like this?" _

_"I dunno." Ace smirked. "A crazy person?" Vinny smiled at him. She couldn't help but like this fellow. He was attractive, funny, and quite the gentleman. She couldn't help but wonder how she had never noticed him before. This was a very small village, after all. _

_"So what's your story, Ace? How long have you lived here?"_

_"My story?" He twirled an apple on his finger, throwing it in the air, catching it, and taking a large bite from the juicy red fruit. "Been here my whole life. I'm an orphan. Homeless since the age of two." He held up two fingers to emphasize his point as he took another bite from his apple._

_"I'm sorry to hear that...it must have been so horrible not having parents to love you..."_

_"Eh, I was alright. I'm tough enough to take care of myself. So you know my story, what's yours?"_

_"I live alone with my mother. I've never met my father, he left us before I was even old enough to walk. If I ever have children, I want to make sure they grow up with both of their parents."_

_"Ah." He smiled at her. "Well just so you know, Miss Vinny, if I were in the shoes of the father of your children, I would never leave you." _

* * *

Alvin awoke abruptly, shooting up into a sitting position on his bed, with sweat dripping down his face. He had a nightmare. In it, his mother, Vinny, was screaming and reaching out for him.

He didn't know what was going on his frightening dream, or what it even meant, but now he had that same feeling his brother's had earlier that night: a feeling that something was very wrong.

The little chipmunk looked around the room, finding that his younger brothers were no longer present, their beds were empty.

With curiosity, he left the three chipmunks' shared bedroom and made his way to his adoptive father's room. When he entered he found his two brothers curled up on either side of their father, both in a seemingly fitful sleep.

Dave, on the other hand, was in a deep slumber, he probably hadn't even noticed his sons had crawled into bed with him. If he hadn't noticed them, he most likely wouldn't notice that another was joining them.

* * *

It had stopped storming now, but no one would dare set foot outside of their homes until the morning sun made its way over the horizon. Vinny was still alive, but by the time someone got to her it would probably be too late.

* * *

_"D-did you say he's...d-dead?" _

_"Yes ma'am. I'm very sorry."_

_"B-but did you try that...that complicated...thingamajig the humans use? The one to make the heart start beating again?"_

_"It's too late for that now. I'm sorry, Miss Vinny, but he's gone...there's no coming back." _

_The very pregnant chipmunk couldn't contain her tears. She leaned against the wall and slid her body to the floor. The very man she loved, gone forever. He told her he'd never leave her. He promised. He promised he would never leave her.  
_

* * *

David Seville awoke to his sons clinging to him, all three of them shaking with fear. They were asleep, but barely. Occasionally one of them would whimper. If he didn't know any better, he'd think they were all having the same nightmare.

He just pulled his boys closer to him, hoping that them being in their father's arms would sooth them and rid them of their nightmares.

Little did Dave know, his children's nightmares were a horrible, terrifying reality.

* * *

_"Alvin, please get off of the piano! Simon, stay away from that bookshelf, they could fall on you! Theodore, what have I told you about climbing in the kitchen cabinets?" The young mother ran frantically around her home, trying to prevent her three babies from getting into even more trouble. _

_Thankfully it was almost naptime, and the three little ones were getting sleepy. She cradled the youngsters in her arms before laying them down in the basket they shared for their bed. _

_She smiled at her children before she started to sing them a soft, sweet lullaby. _

_"Hushabye little ones,_

_Close your eyes little ones,_

_Dream time is near, you needn't fear,_

_And when you wake, I will be here._

_Rest your head little ones,_

_Dream sweet dreams little ones,_

_The stars say goodnight, I say sleep tight,_

_And when you wake, I will be here."_

_When she looked down at her babies, they were all fast asleep. She smiled down at them. If only Ace was able to see how beautiful they were._

* * *

It was her last moments now, all of the energy had drifted out of her as her entire life was playing before her very eyes. She wasn't going to regain consciousness. She wasn't going to be alright. She was going to die that night, under that tree.

No one would even know when she took her last breath.

The three Seville boys felt something snap inside of them, and all three pairs of eyes shot open at that exact moment. They felt a chill coming through the room, and they all swore they heard a light voice, coming out in a whisper. The voice's owner was...singing?

_"Hushabye little ones,_

_Close your eyes little ones,_

_Dream time is near, you needn't fear,_

_And when you wake, I will be here._

_Rest your head little ones,_

_Dream sweet dreams little ones,_

_The stars say goodnight, I say sleep tight,_

_And when you wake, I will be here."_

* * *

**I'd like to thank SawyerSeville19 for helping me name the boys' father. :) Thanks for reading!**


End file.
